Wednesday, 29 October 2014

There's lots going on at the Dublin Book Festival. Almost too much. And not all of it the same old faces and voices (although quite a lots I feel I've heard ad nauseum before TBH). Also the website I'm finding hard to navigate.

Monday, 27 October 2014

A message from the new editor, Claire Hennessy at Penguin Ireland tells me to spread the word that they are actively seeking children’s and YA submissions at the
moment, particularly fiction for 7+.

As with all submissions to publishers, agents or magazines, read the submission requirements very carefully and adhere to them to the letter.

We strongly encourage submissions via email, to: submissions@penguin.ie.If you wish to submit electronically, please send a Word document consisting of a cover letter, short synopsis (no more than 500 words) and the work itself. The cover letter should include a brief summary of your book (a couple of sentences – not a synopsis) and a short note on yourself. Please do not send separate documents: all three elements should be included in a single document.

Saturday, 25 October 2014

As you may know the Galway launch of Skylight Issue 4 was a success. The poet Helen Mort, who launched the issue that evening, was very kind in her words of praise about the issue. There were quite a few readings by contributors and the editor, Nicki Griffin, finished the evening very fittingly by reading a poem by Kevin O'Shea, which is printed on the last page of the magazine.

But they're not finished yet ... On November 15th at 12.30, in Pearse Street Library, they are having their Dublin launch. If you couldn't make the Galway launch, this is a great opportunity to join them and celebrate the release of the issue - and, very importantly, get your hands on a copy.

Sunday, 19 October 2014

Ó Bhéal’s second Winter Warmer festival weekend. Over twenty excellent poets will read and perform in the amphitheatre at Sample Studios, some of whom will be accompanied by musicians. Snatch Comedy Improv will be performing a set of poetry-focused comedy games,Sawa-Le will be performing poetry-theatre, a selection of poetry-films from around the world will be presented by Malgorzata Kitowski (from PoetryFilm), and these will be followed with a judges selection from the 2014 Ó Bhéal poetry-film competition. There will also be a closed-mic for ten local poets.

Wednesday, 15 October 2014

This year Cuisle Limerick City International Poetry Festival celebrates its twentieth anniversary with a special five day run, October 15 to 19, 2014.

Some of Ireland's best loved and most celebrated poets will join guests from their sister festivals across Europe. A special series of 'Poetry in Public Places' events honours Limerick City of Culture 2014. Cuisle establishes Limerick City as a centre of excellence for poetry locally, nationally, and internationally. Cuisle are delighted to host important figures from the world of contemporary poetry, including Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Macdara Woods, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, and Paddy Bushe. Newer names like Ed O’Dwyer and Caleb Brennan light the way for the next generation. Special guests John Davies and Sam Riviere from the UK join celebrated European poets Iztok Osojnik and Veronika Dintinjana.

The Cuisle Festival includes writing workshops, an open mic night, special tributes to Samuel Beckett, and the launch of the annual Stony Thursday Book, this year edited by Peter Sirr. Additionally, Tim Cunningham will launch his new poetry volume. There is a substantial education programme, including readings and workshops for schools. Poets Geraldine Mitchell, Conor O'Callaghan, Tom French, and Bridget Wallace round out the roster.

The 'Poetry in Public Places' initiative has four components. For "A Door Into The Dark" a dozen artists from Limerick Printmakers responded to the work of poets who have previously read at Cuisle. The resulting work is installed along Patrick Street. "Ghost Sonata" has been specially created by Mark Whelan. It consists of one long poem written on the windows of Roches Street. In cooperation with RTÉ Lyric FM, "Poems on the Air" places recordings both on the airwaves and in various retail spaces. Finally, Shedman will bring his famous travelling shed to Limerick. As he tells us: "My shed is very accessible. Anyone can come in to tell me their shed stories, to bring anecdotes and poems, pictures and photos, recollections and fantasies." A popular favourite!

The poetry of Samuel Beckett is a special feature of Saturday's festival. At 4pm join Cuisle for "Roundelay", a staged reading by the Fourfront Poets, previously featured in both Ireland and the UK. At 7pm Gerry Dukes will talk on Beckett, followed by noted actor Barry McGovern performing Beckett's poetry for stage. Not to be missed!

Lunchtime readings will be scheduled Thursday and Friday at 1pm (Sunday at 3pm) in the intimate surround of the Captain's Room at the Hunt Museum. Evening readings are located at 69 O'Connell St., Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7pm.

All events are ticketed, on the door, at an accessible €5. For the complete schedule and more information, including contributor bios and photos, please visit www.cuisle.org.

Monday, 13 October 2014

The festival is all about creating, and the best part
of it all is the opportunity for everyone involved in workshops and classes to
perform their work to an audience in Dalkey Town Hall on the last day of the
festival. Aside from memoir, creative writing, screenwriting, blogging and
song-writing classes with some really super tutors (Ferdia MacAnna, Eleanor
McEvoy etc) we have some unusual events like a literary kayaking tour around the
Dalkey coastline, and a food writing course which includes a meal at a fab
Dalkey restaurant.

And of course, the Open Mic event which I’m HOPING will be
really popular with emerging writers all over – Hazel Gaynor is adjudicating!

Uniquely, the Festival will be bringing new words to life, providing a platform for writers who want to read or have their work performed in front of a live audience on the final day. One such event will be 'Memory Lane', the culmination of a memoir writing project between local school children and senior Dalkey residents.

The Festival is also hosting a number of other literary events, including Jennifer Johnston in conversation with Martina Devlin on Friday 17th at Dalkey Castle & Heritage Centre. Our own Maeve Binchy will be celebrated in the production of ‘Scenes from Minding Frankie’ by Shay Linehan on Saturday 18th at 7.30pm also at Dalkey Castle & Heritage Centre.

Saturday, 11 October 2014

Tuesday, 7 October 2014

Every year, the Arts in Health organisation commissions a pamphlet of poems. They are for distribution in hospital wards, in waiting rooms, Community and Day Care Centres and other health settings for patients, visitors and staff all over Ireland. They even come with some Meals on Wheels. This year, I curated the pamphlet. I took as my theme, Taking Flight.

In particular I was thinking of how reading a poem can take out of where you are for a short time. How your imagination can take you somewhere else, how sometimes you can even fly.

Bearing in mind the sometimes stressful environment of the readers, I was looking for poems that were not so gloomy, more uplifting. I only had a small amount of space to play with so I had to leave some lovely behind. I could have filled three of four pages with no problem at all.

You can read more about it here and download a copy for yourself or your organisation. Try reading these poems aloud. Try writing your own. And we'd love to get feedback, especially from people who've read them in a health setting.

We're launching on Wednesday 8th October at lunchtime in Naas Hospital.

Monday, 6 October 2014

To mark the first Romanian Cultural Days festival, the
Romanian Cultural Institute in London and the Embassy of Romania in Ireland will host a literary event with
Romanian poet Ioan Es Pop and Irish writer and traveller Peter Hurley discussing
writing and tradition, preceded by the screening of Dieter Auner's Off the
Beaten Track (2010), a chronicle of life in Romania's countryside.

The
moderator for the discussion will be Irish Times journalist, Stephen Collins.

Wednesday, 1 October 2014

During this workshop, through creatively
stimulating writing exercises, close reading of poems that have paintings or photographs as their point of
reference, and lively group discussion, we will look at how the two art forms frequently confront and speak
to each other.

Participants may also bring along a poem (not necessarily art-related in subject!) with which they would like some gentle, constructive help.